Minot Memories is a blog that pertains to the city of Minot, ND. It is brief glimpses of people, places, things and events of Minot's past that will provide some insight into the history of Minot. This photo Main Street looking south from the railroad tracks about 1940

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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Minot Tunnels - Part 2

For many years a number
of downtown buildings were heated by steam which was piped into them by steam
pipes for the NSP Steam Power plant. The steam pipes had to be maintained so
they ran through tunnels below the streets and buildings. These tunnels were
large enough to accommodate men who may need to repair or do other maintenance.
Many people confuse these tunnels with tunnels rumored to be running into Minot
for the purpose of running contraband in and out of town. Most of this was in
the form of alcohol smuggled in from Canada and other points. The Steam tunnels
under Minot, while large enough to walk through were separate form any booze
smuggling tunnels. However there was a rumor that a tunnel ran from Stearns
Motors to the Rex Motel and another tunnel that ran from Stearn’s Motors to the
old Flatiron Building. Possibly, only the people working on the Broadway
Project in 1960 would know if this were true.